Latest news with #NationalFosterCareAwarenessMonth
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The different ways you can help foster children
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) —May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, which has local organizations doing what they can to stress the importance of foster parents. More than 1,200 children are in foster care in South Dakota each year. 'These are kids that are dealing with circumstances that are well beyond their control. And in order to have a healthy community, a strong community, it's important. It's critical to make sure that those kids have the same opportunities that everybody else does,' Executive Director, The Foster Network, David Moody said. Former deputy sheriff charged with rape after standoff Becoming a foster parent is one of the most obvious ways to help. Without foster families, children don't have many options. 'They can go to shelters. And so there are a few youth shelters here in the state. And so those youth are homeless. They stay in DSS offices, with caseworkers. Not always is it their own caseworker, so it could just be somebody that they don't know in a DSS office and then hotels,' Children's Home Society, Community Health Worker Team Lead, Jenica Woods said. Children's Home Society offers Therapeutic Foster Care services for foster children and their foster families. 'So we provide 24/7 support to the child and to the family. And then, we provide therapeutic services. So the therapy is in-house. That's individual and family therapy,' Woods said. If you can't become a foster family, at The Foster Network, there are also volunteer opportunities. One thing volunteers help with is 'The Closet', but there are also other ways to help out. 'So, depending on what their interest is, they can absolutely contact us, find out what meets with their schedule, with their expectations, what's meaningful to them. And we will provide those opportunities if they want to assist here,' Moody said. It's a way to help some of South Dakota's most vulnerable children by giving them the stability and safety that they need. 'Because they are just kids that are in a system no fault of their own,' Woods said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
66-Year-Old Father of Ten Launches 'Songs of a Journey' Campaign for Foster Care Awareness Month -- Inspired by Cynthia Erivo and Viola Davis
AUBURN, Ala., May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Fueled by a lifetime of resilience and the healing power of music, Joe Toles—a 66-year-old grandfather, former foster youth, and adoptive father of ten—has launched Songs of a Journey, a heartfelt musical campaign for National Foster Care Awareness Month. Inspired by recent words from Cynthia Erivo and Viola Davis about the power of visibility and voice, Toles is using his own—literally—to highlight the stories of youth in foster care, especially those still awaiting adoption. Each week in May, Toles will release a video of himself performing a meaningful cover song paired with a personal message about self-worth, hope, and healing. Just months after undergoing open-heart surgery, Toles pressed forward to complete the project in time, reflecting his lifelong commitment to uplifting children who feel forgotten. "I know what it's like to feel unseen," said Toles. "From birth to age 21, I was in foster care. For the past 17 years, I've adopted and raised young men who deserved to be seen, heard, and loved. Songs of a Journey is a gift to them—and to every child still waiting." Originally from Uniondale, NY, Toles lives in Auburn, Alabama, where he once earned All-American and All-SEC honors in Track & Field at Auburn University under Olympic coach Mel Rosen. He credits that foundation for shaping him into the father and advocate he is today. Through this campaign, Toles hopes to do more than raise awareness—he hopes to inspire action. "These kids aren't broken," he said. "They're just waiting for someone to believe in them." Follow the campaign throughout May on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn by searching: Songs of a Journey – Joe Toles Media Contact:Joe Toles917-532-8694Jchully@ Joe TolesYouTube: @joetoles3181LinkedIn: Joseph Toles View original content: SOURCE Joseph Toles Counseling Service Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nonprofits join forces to help foster kids in New Mexico & Arizona
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – May kicks off National Foster Care Awareness Month, and to celebrate, two non-profits are working together to help foster kids in the state. The Foster Alliance and New Mexico Friends of Foster Children are joining forces to address the needs of foster families. The alliance will help the organizations explore new, creative ways to support these families in New Mexico and Arizona. New Mexico health officials reminds parents of hot car dangers 'Our mission is to provide everyday essential needs for kiddos in foster care. It's beds, it's hygiene products, school supplies, things that they deserve and they need,' said Stacie Shelby, The Foster Alliance. The new organization, which is now just called The Foster Alliance, is working with several groups to achieve their goals, including the New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department, the Arizona Department of Child Safety, and representatives from tribal and pueblo nations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Montana non-profit launches statewide movement to address foster care crisis
Mar. 21—A Montana nonprofit is calling for urgent action this May, launching a statewide movement to recruit more families to foster the thousands of children crowding the state's foster care system. The number of children in Montana still waiting for a family currently outnumbers the families available to care for them by two-to-one. In response, Child Bridge, a nonprofit dedicated to finding and equipping families to care for children who've suffered abuse and neglect, is launching a statewide recruiting initiative in honor of National Foster Care Awareness Month in May. There are currently around 2,000 children in Montana's foster system. Without intervention, these children are at serious risk of falling victim to sex trafficking, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and homelessness, according to the National Foster Youth Institute. "These kids aren't looking for a superhero. They're looking for you," says Eric Basye, Executive Director at Child Bridge. "You don't have to be special to change a child's life. You just have to be willing." The movement, themed "You don't have to be a superhero to be a foster parent," seeks to dispel the myth that only extraordinary people can foster. Every child deserves a safe and stable family, and ordinary people—people just like you—can change real lives. Starting in May, Child Bridge is calling on churches across Montana to host a Foster Awareness Sunday—a dedicated time to highlight the urgent need for foster families, share resources and encourage families to consider fostering. By hosting a Foster Awareness Sunday, churches can play a direct role in addressing the foster care crisis and ensuring the children in their own communities find the families they desperately need. Child Bridge believes that by mobilizing communities and families, we can break the generational cycle of trauma that currently holds our state captive. "There's no such thing as a perfect parent, and there's never a perfect time to foster," Basye adds. "Montanans take care of Montanans and these kids need your help now." How You Can Help Churches: Host a Foster Awareness Sunday in May to educate and inspire your congregation. Individuals & Families: Attend a free, virtual info meeting to learn more about becoming a foster parent. Community Members: Spread the word. Encourage families you know to consider fostering and to learn more. For more information about joining the movement, hosting a Foster Awareness Sunday or becoming a foster parent, please visit or contact Mary Cloud Vander Ark.
